Fibromyalgia causes aching pain throughout the majority of your body. People most often feel it in their muscles and other soft tissues. For some, the pain is constant, while others experience flare ups that come and go. The condition also causes a number of tender points, which are simply places on your body that are sore to the touch. Another common symptom is fatigue. Fibromyalgia often makes it difficult to get a good night's sleep, and as a result, your body may feel tired and worn out a majority of the time.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
The main symptom of fibromyalgia is aching pain throughout the majority of your body, as well as deep muscle pain, fatigue, sleeplessness and painful tender points. Many people also have coexisting conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety disorders due to the chronic condition.
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Sigma Nursing answeredSee All 6 AnswersTrigger points might be "active" or "latent." An active trigger point is painful even when no pressure is applied to it, and the pain may limit the use of the muscle, leading to weakness and decreased range of motion. A latent trigger point does not cause pain during daily activities, but it will feel sore when pressure is applied to it, and may become activated if the muscle is injured.
Doctors aren't sure what causes trigger points. They may result from a single serious injury to a muscle or from repetitive minor injuries to a muscle area. Other possible causes of trigger points include poor posture, a vitamin deficiency, joint problems or maintaining an awkward body position. Trigger points are also common symptoms in people who have a condition called chronic myofascial pain (CMP), a neuromuscular disorder that affects the muscles and the tissue surrounding them (fascia).
Exercise, stress relief and over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help relieve pain and inflammation from trigger points. If those measures don't work, a doctor can sometimes inject a pain reliever, a water solution or a corticosteroid directly into the trigger point. Botulinum toxin is also sometimes used for trigger point injections. Sometimes simply inserting a needle into a trigger point without injecting medicine into it can break the pain cycle and bring relief. -
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Sigma Nursing answeredSee All 3 AnswersHeightened muscle tenderness is a common symptom of fibromyalgia. If you have fibromyalgia, even a light touch can cause intense pain at sensitive areas known as tender points. These tender points usually occur in pairs on the right and left side of the body, and above and below the waist. However, a doctor may diagnose fibromyalgia based on other symptoms, such as chronic pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and depression.
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If you ask any person with fibromyalgia (FM) what fibromyalgia is, their response would be pain; from the top of their head to the end of their toes. It's pain that "waxes and wanes" from day to day, and persists even with the use of scientifically accepted medical treatments. The pain experience is described as deep muscular aching, shooting, throbbing, stabbing, pounding and at times it is unbearable. People with FM do not sleep well, waking up feeling like they have been hit by a "Mack truck," with morning stiffness or spasticity that makes it difficult to move. Repetitive movement seems to accentuate the pain and forces many people with FM to severely limit their activities, including exercise routines. This lack of exercise results in people becoming physically unfit, causing their FM symptoms to become more severe. The other major complaint is fatigue so severe that people have a difficult time performing everyday tasks, enjoying hobbies, staying employed or taking part in their children's activities. People may feel as though their arms and legs are weighed down by cement and their bodies may feel so drained of energy that every task is a major effort. -
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Sigma Nursing answeredConstant pain is a symptom of many medical conditions. It's possible that fibromyalgia may be the culprit, especially if:
- the pain is chronic, that is, it never seems to go away
- your pain is widespread
- the pain is accompanied by other symptoms, such as insomnia and fatigue
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Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredSee All 4 AnswersIt is unknown whether men and women with fibromyalgia have the same symptoms. According to a 2001 review of the research literature in Current Rheumatology Reports, the ratio of women to men with fibromyalgia is 9 to 1. So while more women are diagnosed with fibromyalgia, it may be because women tend to go to the doctor more frequently. One study in the Journal of Rheumatology reported that men with fibromyalgia have milder symptoms than women due to fewer trigger points and less fatigue. Yet, another report contradicted these findings. No matter what your gender, it's important to see your doctor about any symptoms of chronic muscle pain, fatigue, sleep problems, and depression. There is help and hope for people with fibromyalgia, but your doctor holds the key to making the accurate diagnosis and prescribing effective treatment. -
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Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredSee All 6 AnswersWhile acute pain lasts for a few hours or days, fibromyalgia pain is chronic, or long-term, and lasts for months to years. In fact, widespread body pain and deep muscle pain are the main symptoms of fibromyalgia. People with fibromyalgia describe the pain as stabbing, shooting, throbbing, and aching. Some people with fibromyalgia have tingling and numbness throughout the body, along with the deep muscle pain. Others with fibromyalgia may have more pain in the morning. Pain may also worsen with weather changes, poor sleep, too much exercise, not enough exercise, and chronic emotional stress.
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Sigma Nursing answeredSee All 3 AnswersThe symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome often mimic other common health problems such as arthritis, migraine, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The deep muscle pain and stiffness of fibromyalgia may be misdiagnosed as a form of arthritis. The constant fatigue may be mistaken as chronic fatigue syndrome. Also, the anxiety, low mood and sleep disturbances may be incorrectly diagnosed as depression or another mood disorder.
Because fibromyalgia syndrome has many signs and symptoms, your doctor will work with you to make an accurate diagnosis and to prescribe a multi-faceted treatment program that may consist of medications, moist heat for deep muscle pain, exercise for conditioning and stress management to help with anxiety and sleep. -
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Sigma Nursing answeredSee your doctor if you have fibromyalgia and think you may be experiencing cognitive dysfunction. Memory loss, poor attention span, cloudy thinking, and other cognitive problems are common symptoms of fibromyalgia. Patients and doctors alike call these cognitive difficulties "fibro fog." Your doctor can evaluate you to help find out what's causing your cognitive dysfunction and recommend strategies to help you feel sharper and more alert.